Spoon Sports
Encyclopedia
Spoon Sports is a Japan
ese company formed in 1988. It is an engine tuner
and parts manufacturer specializing in cars made by Honda
. Their concept is to create vehicles that provide "total technology" and "real comfort". The company logo of Spoon Sports is a play of words on Ichishima's name. Ichishima's first name is Tatsuru, and the Japanese name for crane is Tsuru, hence the logo of a crane. "The company name Spoon comes from an impregnable fortress of a corner at Suzuka circuit 20 years ago."
The company tunes and races Honda vehicles in numerous endurance races, and, additionally sells aftermarket parts to automotive enthusiasts. Spoon Sports provides many aftermarket parts for Honda cars. These include powertrain, suspension, aero-parts, wheels, drivetrain, braking system, cooling system and so on.
Some of the races Spoon has competed in include:
.
Spoon was founded to specialize in tuning Honda engines in Takaido, Suginami, Tokyo
along the Kōshū Kaidō Avenue. In 1988, Spoon started house development of a racing computer for use on Honda vehicles. Spoon designs and builds both major and minor components for Honda engines for use on Spoon Sports racing vehicles as well as for sale to the general public.
In 1996, Spoon began selling Honda B engine
assemblies which Spoon precision balances and blueprints to ensure optimum performance during endurance racing. Since then, Spoon Sports have moved on to tune other Honda engines like the venerable K20A from the Civic/Integra and the L15A from the Honda Fit/Jazz.
In 1997, Spoon moved to a brand new building in Ogikubo, Suginami. They also began providing "Engine Lectures" as a part of their customer service program.
In 2001, Spoon opened "Speed Shop Type-One" across the street from the Spoon headquarters. This shop specializes in modifications to Honda's "Type-R" vehicles and other performance oriented Honda's which include the Civic Type-R, Integra Type-R, Accord Euro-R and NSX-R
. However, Spoon has also modified non-R vehicles like the Civic SiR, Honda S2000, Honda Legend and the Honda Fit/Jazz.
Type-One is Ichishima's vision of how a Spoon Sports dealer should be. And that vision is the offer of a "complete tuned car, not just individual parts thrown in without consideration of whether they will work in harmony or simply interfere with each other." Also, Ichishima wants to make it known this shop was not created to sell parts, but to provide customers with Type-One's installation skills and know-how of Spoon products.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese company formed in 1988. It is an engine tuner
Car tuning
Car tuning is both an industry and a hobby, in which an automobile is modified in order to improve its performance, handling and appearance. As most vehicles leave the factory set up for average driver expectations and average conditions, tuning has become a way to personalize the characteristics...
and parts manufacturer specializing in cars made by Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
. Their concept is to create vehicles that provide "total technology" and "real comfort". The company logo of Spoon Sports is a play of words on Ichishima's name. Ichishima's first name is Tatsuru, and the Japanese name for crane is Tsuru, hence the logo of a crane. "The company name Spoon comes from an impregnable fortress of a corner at Suzuka circuit 20 years ago."
The company tunes and races Honda vehicles in numerous endurance races, and, additionally sells aftermarket parts to automotive enthusiasts. Spoon Sports provides many aftermarket parts for Honda cars. These include powertrain, suspension, aero-parts, wheels, drivetrain, braking system, cooling system and so on.
Some of the races Spoon has competed in include:
- All Japan GT ChampionshipSuper GTThe Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association...
- TsukubaTsukuba CircuitThe Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track located in Shimotsuma, a neighboring city of Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is long, has 32 pits and the longest straight is long. There is a small chicane corner that is used for motorcycle racing only and increases the total length to...
9 Hours Endurance Race - 24 Hours Nürburgring24 Hours NürburgringThe 24 Hours Nürburgring is a touring car and GT endurance racing event on the Nürburgring Nordschleife . With a lap length of over , it allows the participation of more than 200 cars, and over 700 drivers.-Overview:...
- 25 Hours of ThunderhillThunderhill ParkThunderhill Raceway Park is a road racing course located West of Willows, California on Hwy 162. The course is a fast series of twists and turns with minor elevation changes. Thunderhill is owned and operated by the San Francisco Region of the SCCA. It is host to many motorports events for cars...
- USTCC (United States Touring Car Championship)
Corporate history
The founder, Ichishima Tatsuru was originally a racer. So just like Honda themselves, racing has always been in Spoon Sport's blood. The first car that Ichishima-san raced was a Honda CivicHonda Civic
The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded...
.
Spoon was founded to specialize in tuning Honda engines in Takaido, Suginami, Tokyo
Suginami, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Suginami City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 538,703, with 301,277 households, and a density of 15,834.39 persons per km². The total area is 34.02 km².-Geography:Suginami occupies the...
along the Kōshū Kaidō Avenue. In 1988, Spoon started house development of a racing computer for use on Honda vehicles. Spoon designs and builds both major and minor components for Honda engines for use on Spoon Sports racing vehicles as well as for sale to the general public.
In 1996, Spoon began selling Honda B engine
Honda B engine
The Honda B-series are inline-4 DOHC automotive engines. They were made in 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 2.0 liter variants, with and without VTEC . Later models have minor upgrades including modifications to the intake valves and ports and piston tops, along with individual cylinder oil injectors...
assemblies which Spoon precision balances and blueprints to ensure optimum performance during endurance racing. Since then, Spoon Sports have moved on to tune other Honda engines like the venerable K20A from the Civic/Integra and the L15A from the Honda Fit/Jazz.
In 1997, Spoon moved to a brand new building in Ogikubo, Suginami. They also began providing "Engine Lectures" as a part of their customer service program.
Honda NSX
The Honda NSX, or Acura NSX, is a sports car that was produced between 1990 and 2005 by the Japanese automaker Honda. It is equipped with a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, powered by an all-aluminium V6 gasoline engine featuring Honda's Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control ...
. However, Spoon has also modified non-R vehicles like the Civic SiR, Honda S2000, Honda Legend and the Honda Fit/Jazz.
Type-One is Ichishima's vision of how a Spoon Sports dealer should be. And that vision is the offer of a "complete tuned car, not just individual parts thrown in without consideration of whether they will work in harmony or simply interfere with each other." Also, Ichishima wants to make it known this shop was not created to sell parts, but to provide customers with Type-One's installation skills and know-how of Spoon products.
External links
- Spoon Sports Official Site
- TYPE ONE Spoon's Original Tuning Shop Official Site
- Spoon Sports Official Distributor of UK Site
- Spoon Sports Official Distributor of Canada
- Spoon Sports Official Distributor of U.S.A.
- Spoon Sports Official Distributor of Hong Kong ・China・Macau
- Temple of VTEC ASIA visits Spoon Sports
- Spoon Sports Official Distributor of Australia - Proconcept, Sydney, Australia